Method and apparatus for performing file shaping

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including identifying, by a processing system including a processor, performance indicators for a flow on a communication network. The system determines a size criterion for the flow, and a flow shaping criterion based on the data type and including a threshold value of a performance indicator. If the size criterion is met, the system monitors the performance indicators and initiates a flow shaping procedure responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met. The system also detects a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure, and discontinues the procedure during the flow, responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion. The system may also resume the flow shaping procedure during the flow if the performance indicators subsequently meet the flow shaping criterion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 identifying, by a processing system including a processor implementing a network proxy executing on a network element of a communication network, performance indicators for a flow on a cell of the communication network, the flow comprising at least a portion of one or more files downloaded to or uploaded from a user device; 
 determining, by the processing system, a size criterion for the flow, the size criterion comprising a number of bytes transmitted since a beginning of the flow; 
 determining, by the processing system, a flow shaping criterion related to the flow and for performing flow shaping with respect to the flow, the flow shaping criterion comprising a threshold value of at least one of the performance indicators; 
 identifying, by the processing system, a policy regulating subscriber use of the communication network and applicable to the flow shaping; 
 monitoring, by the processing system responsive to the size criterion being met, the performance indicators, wherein the at least one of the performance indicators comprises a characteristic affecting other flows on the cell, and wherein measured values of the performance indicators are automatically obtained by the processing system; 
 initiating, by the processing system responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met and in accordance with the policy, a flow shaping procedure for the flow, wherein the policy determines at least in part whether performance of the flow shaping procedure is permitted, wherein the policy is based at least in part on a subscriber rate plan associated with the user device; 
 detecting, by the processing system, a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure; 
 adjusting, by the processing system during the flow, the flow shaping criterion in a closed-loop process based on the change in the performance indicators; 
 discontinuing, by the processing system during the flow, the flow shaping procedure responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion; and 
 resuming, by the processing system during the flow, the discontinued flow shaping procedure responsive to the performance indicators subsequently meeting the flow shaping criterion. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flow shaping criterion corresponds to a base station utilization, a radio resource metric, a congestion indicator, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flow shaping criterion comprises a flow size, a flow duration, a round-trip time, a throughput, a congestion level, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the flow shaping procedure is discontinued responsive to a change in the congestion level. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the flow size corresponds to a number of bytes transmitted during the flow. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flow shaping criterion is based at least in part on a data type of the flow. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the data type comprises web browsing traffic, on-demand video, live video content, video calls, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the flow is encrypted. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising dynamically adjusting, by the processing system in accordance with the changed performance indicators, the flow shaping criterion. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a transparent network proxy (TNP). 
     
     
       11. A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor implementing a network proxy executing on a network element of a communication network; and 
 a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
 identifying performance indicators for a flow on a cell of the communication network, the flow having a data type and comprising at least a portion of one or more files downloaded to or uploaded from a user device; 
 determining a size criterion for the flow, the size criterion comprising a number of bytes transmitted since a beginning of the flow; 
 determining a flow shaping criterion related to the flow and for performing flow shaping with respect to the flow, the flow shaping criterion based at least in part on the data type; 
 identifying a policy regulating subscriber use of the communication network and applicable to the flow shaping; 
 monitoring responsive to the size criterion being met, the performance indicators, wherein at least one of the performance indicators comprises a characteristic affecting other flows on the cell, and wherein measured values of the performance indicators are automatically obtained by the processing system; 
 initiating, responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met and in accordance with the policy, a flow shaping procedure for the flow, wherein the policy determines at least in part whether performance of the flow shaping procedure is permitted, wherein the policy is based at least in part on a subscriber rate plan associated with the user device; 
 detecting, a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure; 
 adjusting, by the processing system during the flow, the flow shaping criterion in a closed-loop process based on the change in the performance indicators; 
 discontinuing, during the flow, the flow shaping procedure responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion; and 
 resuming, during the flow, the discontinued flow shaping procedure responsive to the performance indicators subsequently meeting the flow shaping criterion. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the flow shaping criterion comprises a threshold value of at least one of the performance indicators. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the flow shaping criterion comprises a flow size, a flow duration, a round-trip time, a throughput, a congestion indicator, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13 , wherein the flow shaping procedure is discontinued responsive to a change in the congestion indicator. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise dynamically adjusting the flow shaping criterion in accordance with the changed performance indicators. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor implementing a network proxy executing on a network element of a communication network, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 identifying performance indicators for a flow on a cell of the communication network, the flow comprising at least a portion of one or more files downloaded to or uploaded from a user device; 
 determining a size criterion for the flow, the size criterion comprising a number of bytes transmitted since a beginning of the flow; 
 determining a flow shaping criterion related to the flow and for performing flow shaping with respect to the flow; 
 identifying a policy regulating subscriber use of the communication network and applicable to the flow shaping; 
 monitoring, responsive to the size criterion being met, the performance indicators, wherein the at least one of the performance indicators comprises a characteristic affecting other flows on the cell, and wherein measured values of the performance indicators are automatically obtained by the processing system; 
 initiating, responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met and in accordance with the policy, a flow shaping procedure for the flow, wherein the policy determines at least in part whether performance of the flow shaping procedure is permitted, wherein the policy is based at least in part on a subscriber rate plan associated with the user device; 
 detecting a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure; 
 discontinuing, during the flow, the flow shaping procedure responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion; 
 resuming, during the flow, the discontinued flow shaping procedure responsive to the performance indicators subsequently meeting the flow shaping criterion; and 
 dynamically adjusting the flow shaping criterion in a closed-loop process, in accordance with the changed performance indicators. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the flow shaping criterion comprises a threshold value of at least one of the performance indicators. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the flow has a data type comprising web browsing traffic, on-demand video, live video content, video calls, or a combination thereof, and wherein the flow shaping criterion is based at least in part on the data type. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the flow shaping criterion comprises a flow size, a flow duration, a round-trip time, a throughput, a congestion indicator, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the flow shaping procedure is discontinued responsive to a change in the congestion indicator.